Complementary therapy yoga training: Experience report by Sandra Meyer-Peyer - this well-founded scientific training with a professional qualification has freed me from the yoga confusion

Who are you and what do you do for a living?

My name is Sandra Meyer-Peyer. I originally completed a commercial apprenticeship. Today I am a complementary therapist specializing in yoga therapy. I run my own practice and also work in a second profession. I also work as a yoga and Pilates teacher. I have been teaching movement for over 27 years now.

What motivated you to train in complementary yoga therapy?

I actually wanted to complete the yoga path because as a yoga teacher I felt like one of a thousand others. I no longer felt comfortable in the maze of yoga schools and yoga training courses. I was looking for a well-founded training in movement and people. When I heard about yoga therapy, I went to an information event to rule out this option for myself. After the taster training day, I knew immediately that this was the right path for me. At last, someone understood yoga - in a sound and scientific way. The focus is on the individual and the yoga is adapted to them - not the other way around. The Complementary Therapy Yoga training gave me more depth in the field of yoga and a professional qualification. I was able to build on what I already knew. That's why I opted for professional training with an industry certificate as a yoga complementary therapist. I made a conscious decision not to have my previous training credited to the course, as I wanted to learn everything anew and correctly. I was particularly fascinated by Viniyoga, which focuses on the individual and adapts the exercises to the person.

Why did you choose the IKT Institute as your educational partner?

The IKT is currently the only institution that offers professional training as a yoga therapist with a complementary therapy background in accordance with the OdA KT.

How has the yoga therapy training affected your everyday life?

Thanks to the yoga therapy training, I feel competent to work with people as a yoga therapist. This training has given me the necessary tools for therapeutic work. I now also have a professional qualification in yoga therapy.

What is special about the yoga method as a complementary therapist?

As a yoga complementary therapist, you open your doors to anyone who is interested in yoga therapy. It is very important to work interactively with the client. This means that it is not me as a yoga therapist who does something, but the client's concerns and the joint pursuit of the path of yoga therapy. This requires a great deal of trust, interaction, meeting at eye level and adapted bodywork.

How exactly does yoga therapy work?

In the initial consultation, we work out your personal goals based on your wishes, circumstances and resources. From this, we create an individual first yoga practice consisting of physical and breathing exercises and meditation. By practising independently at home, small impulses are given to stimulate self-regulation. In the next sessions, which take place at intervals of a few weeks, we will review your practice, make adjustments and develop it further together.

What did you like best about the complementary therapy yoga course?

For me, the time I spent on the complementary therapy yoga course was very exciting and enriching. I really appreciated the fact that we had different lecturers in the individual subjects during the training. Especially in yoga, each lecturer was able to bring something of their own and contribute to the yoga therapy training - e.g. more experience in meditation or movement. It was the same for me in medicine, which was a very exciting subject for me. We had different lecturers, each with a different knowledge background, which was brought into the lessons.

How did you deal with challenges?

The whole training process was exciting for me. Also how we worked well together as a group or class. This was also very enriching for me. Sometimes we developed teaching groups and assignments together as a group and presented them to each other. So not only was the individual process very instructive, but also the process in the group. For me, there was a good balance between the two.

Has becoming a yoga complementary therapist changed your life?

My degree in yoga complementary therapy has changed my whole life. Whether privately in my interpersonal relationships, in my family or professionally. I realize that today I don't just teach yoga in group classes, but look at things from the perspective of a complementary therapist using the yoga method. This also makes a big difference to my work as a yoga teacher.

What learning content helped you in particular?

I am very interested in medicine and I enjoyed the lessons on medical basics. The yoga training is very varied and very exciting. The social science subjects were new to me, which really enriched my interpersonal skills.

Do you now have new opportunities in your job?

At the moment, not too much has changed in my day-to-day work. I run my practice where I offer yoga therapies. I also continue to work as a yoga teacher and teach Pilates. I am now working for the IKT as a mentor for the yoga therapy training course. I accompany and support students during their time in practice.

Who would you recommend the complementary therapist training to?

I recommend the complementary therapist training to all those who are interested in working with people and in serious professional training in the field of complementary therapy yoga. You should also like to be guided by ethical principles and science.

What did the training do for you personally?

I personally benefited a lot from the further training with a professional qualification in complementary yoga therapy at the IKT. It was a very formative time for me. I was able to learn a lot and this motivated me to continue on my path. I am still very eager to learn today and know that my journey is not over yet.

Overview of yoga training providers

Overview of providers of complementary therapist training / complementary therapist training